Hundreds honour memory of Czechs murdered in Ležáky

Hundreds of people, including members of the military and the Czech
president, attended a ceremony on Sunday in Ležáky in the Chrudim area,
to honour the memory of 52 people murdered there by the Nazis in 1942. The
town was razed to the ground, following Lidice, as reprisal for the
assassination of the 'Butcher of Prague’, Nazi governor Reinhard
Heydrich. All of the adults were executed and 11 children sent to the
Chełmno extermination camp where they were gassed. In a speech on Sunday
to mark the 72 anniversary, the president expressed deep gratitude that
Czech resistance fighters had fought for freedom with the utmost courage
and sacrifice. Among those who attended the ceremony were two sisters,
Jarmila and Marie Šťulíková, who are the sole survivors of the Ležáky
massacre. After the war, the village of Ležáky was rebuilt with a
memorial on the site of the original buildings which had been destroyed.

Czech military asked to continue in new mission

General Petr Pavel, the head of the General Staff of the Czech Armed
Forces, met at the weekend in Afghanistan with the head of ISAF General
Joseph Dunford who expressed the hope Czechs there would continue their
work in the country even after NATO combat operations wrapped up. The aim
is to help Afghan security forces in the new coming period, under a new
mission to be called Resolute Support. Czech personnel staying on in
Afghanistan would presumably serve at an American military hospital, train
Afghan forces and help with security at the base at Bagram. General Pavel
said the Czech Army was prepared to do its part; the mandate for the years
2015 and 2016 will, however, have to be approved in the Chamber of
Deputies.

Monday will see 30th anniversary of release of Czechs and Slovaks held
captive in Angola

This Monday, June 23rd, marks 30 years that twenty Czechs and Slovaks were
released by UNITA rebels in Angola, returning home after some 15 months in
captivity. Those abducted in 1984 had to complete a march of more than
1,300 kilometers while in captivity. One of the hostages did not survive.
Lubomír Sazeček, one of those held prisoner, spoke to the Czech News
Agency on the occasion of the anniversary, saying he never gave up on
Africa, but still held the rebels, who assumed power, responsible. In all,
66 Czechoslovak men, women and children were held hostage, but the 20 were
the last released. The Czechs and Slovaks were in Angola in the 1980's
to help resurrect and run the Angola Cellulose and Paper Company in the
area of Alto Catumbela.

Prague mayor remains atop candidates list

TOP 09’s regional committee has confirmed that Prague Mayor Tomáš
Hudeček will remain atop the party’s candidate list in Prague in
upcoming communal elections. Some members held the view Mr Hudeček should
be removed from the list over the Opencard case, which is due to go to
trial. Legal proceedings have been launched against 15 city councillors and
two mayors, former and present, over the controversial data card which
serves most commonly as a transit pass. The majority was in favour, of the
mayor staying on. Second on the list is Mayor Hudeček’s deputy, Jiří
Nouza; fourth is former hockey goalie Petr Bříza. The elections take
place this autumn.

Czech TV: Prague sent key parts of MUS verdict

Prague has been sent key parts of a Swiss court verdict on the case of the
Czech MUS coal mining company, which could help the Czech state regain a
part of the 14 billion crowns linked to the suspicious privatisation of MUS
now blocked on Swiss accounts, Czech TV reported Saturday. The Finance
Ministry confirmed it has received the documentation. The Finance Ministry
previously asked the Swiss for the parts of the verdict which related to
the Czech Republic. The ministry’s spokesman said only that the documents
received were being analyzed before further steps would be considered.

Ten-year-old airlifted to hospital after suffering 12-metre fall at
Žebrák

A 10-year-old boy had to be airlifted to hospital on Sunday after suffering
a 12-metre fall at the popular tourist destination of Žebrák, castle
ruins in the area of Beroun outside of Prague. The boy suffered multiple
injuries and was in critical condition. He was taken to Prague's Motol
hospital. The boy had been accompanied by adults on the trip, who were
apparently looking for a hidden geocaching item at the time of the
accident, the Czech News Agency reported.

Student found dead after apparent fall from cliff

A 17-year-old student missing for two days in the area of Kokořín has
been found dead, a police spokesman revealed on Sunday. A search involving
dozens of police officers and fire fighters preceded the discovery. The boy
was last seen on Friday during a school trip. he had told others he was
going for a walk shortly after 12 AM. He is believed to have fallen from a
cliff in the area.